Heart Thoughts: Being in Love with Wonder
Reflections on a Sacred Weekend
This past week, Unity Center for Spiritual Growth had the blessing of hosting mystic Mary Reed and her dear friend and fellow awakening teacher, Lisa Dewey. While their stories, experiences, and expressions are uniquely their own, what they offered us was something far more universal: an invitation to remember the beauty, wonder, and Presence already available within each moment.
In a world that often encourages us to strive, achieve, plan, and control, Mary and Lisa spoke from a different place altogether. Their message was not about attaining some distant spiritual goal. Rather, it was a gentle reminder that the Divine is not waiting somewhere in the future. Life itself is unfolding here and now, inviting us into a deeper relationship with the sacred reality that is already present.
During our time together, I found myself reflecting on a question that feels particularly relevant in our busy lives: What if spiritual growth is less about becoming something new and more about noticing what has always been here?
Many of us spend years searching for answers, clarity, purpose, or certainty. Yet some of the deepest wisdom shared throughout the weekend pointed toward trust rather than certainty, presence rather than planning, and wonder rather than needing to know.
One of the gifts of both Mary and Lisa is that they embody a quality of being that can be difficult to describe yet easy to recognize when we experience it. They speak of awakening not as an achievement, but as a living relationship with the mystery of existence. They invite us to loosen our grip on how life should unfold and become more available to how life is unfolding.
As I listened, I found myself considering how much energy we often spend carrying agendas for ourselves, for others, and even for Spirit. We want to know where we’re going, what comes next, and how everything will work out. Yet Presence asks something different of us. Presence asks us to arrive fully in the life that is already here.
This does not mean becoming passive. It does not mean abandoning our dreams or responsibilities. Rather, it means learning to meet life with openness, curiosity, and trust. It means allowing ourselves to be guided by what is emerging rather than constantly pushing toward what we think should happen.
Perhaps this is why wonder is such an important spiritual practice.
Wonder slows us down.
Wonder softens our certainty.
Wonder opens us to possibility.
Wonder reminds us that the ordinary moments of life may be far more extraordinary than we have imagined.
As our weekend together came to a close, I was left with a simple but powerful realization: The spiritual path is not somewhere else. It is not waiting for us after the next workshop, retreat, book, or breakthrough. The path is here, in this breath, this conversation, this act of kindness, this moment of awareness.
The invitation before us is not to become more spiritual. The invitation is to become more present.
And perhaps that is enough.
May we move through the coming days with greater wonder, deeper trust, and a willingness to let life reveal itself moment by moment. May we remember that the Presence we seek is not hidden from us. It is the very essence of who we are.
With gratitude for Mary, Lisa, and the sacred journey we share,
Join Us Next Sunday: The Courage to Speak Truth
Next Sunday, we continue our exploration of transformative spiritual voices as we turn our attention to the remarkable life of Sojourner Truth.
Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth became a powerful advocate for freedom, equality, and human dignity. Yet beyond her history-making accomplishments was a woman deeply guided by Spirit, courageously following an inner calling that challenged the beliefs and limitations of her time.
Together we’ll explore what her life can teach us about listening to the voice within, trusting divine guidance, and speaking our truth with love and conviction.
In a world that often asks us to conform, Sojourner Truth reminds us that spiritual freedom begins when we have the courage to live authentically and faithfully from our deepest knowing.
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
September 2, 2026